Saw this morning, a flock of Grey Partridges, consisting of two pairs together with their offspring, numbering a dozen or more at least. The young ones were able to keep up with the parents, flying strongly, and so clear of immediate danger. Partridges have been absent from around here for a couple of years, so it is a great pleasure to see them back, especially as although the parents are far more conscientious than pheasants are, the chicks struggle to survive when the weather is really bad, round about Ascot week. The pheasants that were with us in the spring dispersed several weeks ago, with just one daily visitor still.
Our flock of Yellowhammers has largely dispersed now, no longer needing to feed at our bird tables, and their place has been taken by the various finches, gold- green- and chaffinches. Bullfinches are around but a bit more secretive than the other finches. There has been an explosion of wrens in the last few days, with luttle limps of brown cotton wool perched on stuff around our garage which is used for everything apart from a car. Crows are gathering, as they do at this time of year. They sit on the posts supporting the wires of raspberry canes, waiting for the fruit to ripen, which it should do any day now.
Down in the vegetable garden, I saw yesterday for the first time, a Wood Mouse climbing about amongst the stalks and seedheads of Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvaticus).
Although our ponds had no frogspawn this year, there are at least a few frogs around, but nothing like the population there were last year. Those I have seen have been free of disease.
Hedgehogs are now in evidence, but I’ve not actually seen any yet. There are some bats flying at dusk; I used to be able to identify bat species but cannot now remember how, they flash by so fast.
Our population of bumble bees of several species continues strongly, but there are appallingly few honey bees around, and I’ve not seen a single butterfly.
